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Libraries participate in RecycleMania 2007

The Rutgers University Libraries are pleased to pitch in to the university's participation in
RecycleMania 2007, a national recycling competition open to colleges and universities.
RecycleMania's goal is to increase awareness and involvement in campus recycling efforts. Schools
compete by measuring the weekly amount of paper, containers (plastic, glass, and cans), and
cardboard collected for recycling during a 10-week period from January 28 to April 7. The school
with the largest cumulative total wins.

Born out of a challenge between Ohio University and Miami University in 2001, RecycleMania grew to
93 competitors in 2006, and the 2007 school participation is expected to be even greater. This
year, Rutgers will be competing against the University of Michigan, Princeton University, and
Boston College, just to name a few. We have been a leader in recycling for many years, and we
encourage all Rutgers faculty, students, and staff to recycle and help Rutgers rank among the
program's top competitors.

Members of the Rutgers University community can participate in RecycleMania in four ways:

Recycle as much as possible, which includes buying products with recycled content. Recycling turns
materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources and generates a host of
environmental, financial and social benefits.

Reduce the amount and toxicity of trash you discard. Source reduction often called waste
prevention, means consuming and throwing away less.

Reuse containers and products; repair what is broken or give it to someone who can repair it.
Reusing items by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups, or selling them
also reduces waste. Use a product more than once, either for the same purpose or for a different
purpose.

Respect the environment and others around us. Respect your home, neighbors and work place by
keeping them clean and litter free. It is important to respect the environment.

The Libraries promote recycling year round by placing separate trash receptacles for paper,
plastic, and unsorted garbage in all buildings and by offering students the option to email
scholarly articles to themselves, thus cutting down on unnecessary printing. The Libraries also
maintains an active preservation department, which extends the usable life of our collections
and significantly reduces replacement costs.